


Order

by sabinelagrande



Series: Disclosure [3]
Category: Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Alternate Universe - BDSM, Case: AJ 4, Dom Edgeworth, Event: Seven Years Ago, M/M, Sub Phoenix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-21
Updated: 2008-11-21
Packaged: 2017-10-14 10:55:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/148493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabinelagrande/pseuds/sabinelagrande
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phoenix stands trial.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Order

**Author's Note:**

> Some dialogue taken from Apollo Justice case 4; if you haven't played AJ 4, then this fic won't make a whole lot of sense.

"I call this session of the State Bar Ethics Council to order," the chairman announced. "Please be seated." There was a general shuffling as the council seated itself. "We are here to hear charges against bar member Phoenix Wright. Who represents the bar in this issue?"

"I do, Mister Chair," said Winston Payne, standing, his voice unabashedly smug.

"Who represents the member in question?"

Phoenix took a deep breath, pulling himself to his feet. "I do, Mister Chair."

"You have been advised that you are entitled to counsel?"

"I have."

"And you have decided to act _pro se_?"

"I have, Mister Chair." Acting for himself. He was doing a lot of that lately.

"Would the bar like to make an opening statement?"

"Of course, your honor."

\--

Miles had come with him to court. It felt a little silly to him how good that made him feel- like he was going off to his first day of school instead of defending in a murder trial. It felt somehow safer with Miles there- that was such a weird, _obvious_ thing to be thinking about his own top. Of course it did. That was the point, right? Right.

The top in question had wandered off to talk to Gumshoe- he'd promised that he hadn't gone to put the fear of god in him, though it didn't look that way from Gumshoe's face- so he turned his attention back to the trial. He wasn't ready, but then, when was he ever? He'd certainly beaten stranger cases than this with less preparation. It was something of a habit, really.

Phoenix was full of that tingly, tight feeling he always had before a trial- almost completely out of control, but almost totally sure he could handle it. It was going to be a good day.

"Oh, old boy?" a voice came from behind him.

\--

Payne had shut up, which was nice. He hadn't said anything Phoenix hadn't been expecting to hear. He also spent an inordinate amount of time adjusting his cuffs; Phoenix very nearly laughed out loud at that. Just one more touch to make this farce that much more absurd. Now there was nothing to do but watch him construct his case, and try not to care that there weren't any holes in it.

\--

"What's that?" Miles said, reading over his shoulder, during recess.

"I can use this," Phoenix said excitedly, reading it over and over again. "This is what's going to break this case wide open!"

"That's outstanding," he responded, his words lacking conviction. Phoenix looked up to see him standing there with crossed arms, tapping a finger against his bicep. "Where did it come from?"

"Uh." Phoenix scratched the back of his neck and tried his best not to look sheepish. "A little girl in a cape gave it to me."

Miles's left eyebrow shot up so far it was in danger of disappearing into his hairline. " _What?_ "

"A little girl gave it to me," he repeated, trying to sound more confident than he was. "My client's daughter. She said someone gave it to her."

"I know you've had a great deal of success in the past with unorthodox methods," Miles said, pressing on his temples, "but did you actually hear what you just said?"

"I need to use this," Phoenix told him, voice firm. "This is what I need to defend my client."

"At what cost, Wright?" Miles asked, his words mordant and cool.

"I'm doing this," he replied, stepping past Miles and towards the courtroom door.

"Phoenix," he snapped, and Phoenix turned back to him, straightening visibly. "For your own sake, I _order_ you not to present that evidence."

Phoenix swallowed hard, feeling like he'd suddenly taken a punch to the stomach. "Then I won't," he answered finally, his voice strained.

Miles relaxed visibly. "Phoenix, I-" he started, but Phoenix just walked away.

\--

"On the date in question, Phoenix Wright presented evidence that has now been revealed to be false. I'd like to present these," Payne said, handing around a stack of papers. "Unfortunately, our source refuses to appear before the board, but we have sworn affidavits from Prosecutor Klavier Gavin, the Judge from the trial in question, and an independent expert on forgery. Our forgery expert has also produced a detailed analysis of the evidence in question."

"How did Wright acquire the forgery?" the Chair asked.

"We assume he paid for it," he replied, "but it's not material, since Mr. Wright is the one who presented it."

"There are two charges before the Council," one of the senior board members pointed out. "This evidence only pertains to one of them."

"Oh yes," Payne said, with obvious relish. "That."

\--

The new kid- Klavier or Clavicle or whatever it was- was explaining how he'd just sewn the case up. The diary was perfect evidence, obviously. What a flawless victory for him. Phoenix was sure his mother would be so proud.

"Well, how do you like me now, Herr Wright?" he said with a smirk. "Still too 'green' for your tastes? Hmm?"

It was all very stupid. The ripped page was staring him in the face- it was impossible that Klavier wasn't seeing it too- but Phoenix was going to let it keep right on staring.

"Well, Mr. Wright?" the judge asked. "The witness's testimony we heard was lacking, but put together with this evidence, it seems quite sufficient for a case."

Phoenix realized that he had been digging his nails into his desk. He was suddenly very glad that Miles was sitting behind him rather than in his line of sight. "I have nothing to present, your honor," he said through clenched teeth.

He almost didn't catch the way Klavier looked up into the crowd for a moment before speaking. "Objection!" he half-shouted, bringing his eyes back down to Phoenix. "Are you sure about that, Herr Wright? Withholding evidence is a serious offense. Wouldn't want you to be too hasty, ja?"

Phoenix stared at him, gobsmacked. "I- I'm not withholding evidence," he lied.

"Your honor," Klavier said smugly, turning to the judge, "I have reason to believe that Herr Wright is keeping vital evidence from this court. I demand he present it, or suffer the consequences." Klavier smiled- or showed his teeth, anyway. "Or would you feel better if I called your top down here to demand it?"

Phoenix's hand went instinctively to his collar. He realized about thirty seconds too late that it was just about the worst response he possibly could have had. The courtroom exploded in a frenzy of whispering- _how could that prosecutor_ and _serves him right_ and _told you, pay up_ all blended together into one steady buzz in his ears. Oh, this was bad, this was very bad, there were some things you just didn't do-

Klavier smirked. "I'm sure that we could get Herr-"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix shouted. It was loud enough to startle Klavier and most of the crowd into silence. Phoenix swallowed, hard, trying to calm his frantically beating heart. "I didn't believe that this evidence was relevant, your honor," he said quickly- an obvious lie, but no one was paying attention, "but I'm left with no choice but to present evidence."

"Finally," Klavier replied, savoring the word, and Phoenix knew he was a dead man.

\--

"Would the member in question care to make his opening arguments?" the chair asked.

Phoenix managed to ignore the pounding in his head long enough to stand up. "I have listened to Prosecutor Payne's arguments, and I have no further comments. I will abide by the board's decision. Thank you."

There was a generalized furor in the room. "Quiet!" the chair shouted- it didn't have quite the same force as a gavel, but the din did die down somewhat. "Am I correct in assuming that you do not intend to mount a defense against these charges?"

"Yes," he said, his voice not wavering.

One of the older board members made a sound of annoyance. "This is ridiculous. This sub is clearly not fit to make his own decisions. Where is your top? " he demanded of Phoenix.

He knew exactly what he was supposed to say and exactly what would happen when he said it. He was supposed to throw himself upon the mercies of the court- he was just a sub, wasn't he? Everybody knew they couldn't handle high pressure, so it's not like they could really blame him. Obviously it was his top's failure. Phoenix would get off with lashes- public and humiliating- but it'd make him feel better, being exactly what a very large part of him knew he deserved. And somewhere in this hypothetical process, someone would look at that handsome red suited top and say, "Hey, isn't that Prosecutor Edgeworth?" and he'd have to sit in this same room a month from now and watch as Edgeworth got disbarred.

Even if he did want to throw Edgeworth under the bus, wasn't it all moot now anyway?

He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, showing nothing but a pale band of skin. For good measure, he rolled up his cuffs as well- nothing hiding there either.

"I don't have a top," he said flatly. _Now you see it, now you don't_ , he added, bitterly, to himself.

\--

He didn't actually remember how he got home from the courthouse. There had been flashbulbs going off and microphones in his face as Gumshoe and the bailiff got him through the crowd, and after that it was all a bit fuzzy.

He sat in the living room, blankly staring at the television. They were talking about him. He supposed that was to be expected.

"I'm sorry," Edgeworth said, from somewhere behind him.

He had screwed up. Edgeworth had screwed up. It was a pretty screwed up day, honestly.

He fumbled for the clasp on his collar, wondering why he couldn't make his fingers stop trembling. He'd never opened it before- it wasn't really meant for him to open.

"Phoenix," Edgeworth said quietly, the pleading in his voice doing unpleasant things to his stomach.

The fucking thing finally gave, the collar sliding down his neck. It felt so strange when he lifted it away, the slightly too cool air of the room brushing his neck.

He left it on the coffee table when he went to pack his things.

\--

They'd had to take a five minute recess after that, all of which Phoenix spent locked in the bathroom willing himself to calm down. He resisted the urge to flee into traffic, slipping back into his seat right on time.

"The junior member of the Ethics Board has volunteered to speak on the member in question's behalf," the chair announced when they reconvened. He pointedly ignored Phoenix's attempts to protest- he didn't even know who the junior member of the Ethics Board was, for god's sake.

Looking as unruffled as ever, Kristoph stood up to address the council- and if he'd thought about it a little harder, he'd have seen that one coming. He relaxed into his seat.

"Distinguished board members, I address you not in my legal capacity," he paused, pushing his glasses up his nose, "but in my capacity as a friend. In my years of knowing Phoenix Wright, I have never known him as anything but a dedicated lawyer, a kind friend, and a generous confidant."

And then, suddenly, horribly, he got it.

Kristoph smiled at him.

\--

"Look, I'm sorry about all this. I don't know why I'm down here, honestly."

"Clients make strange demands. It's part of the job, isn't it?"

"I just don't want you to think I'm trying to steal him out from under you."

"Forget about it. You seem so tense."

"I think my- my roommate is upset at me."

"I see."

"I don't want him to be disappointed in me."

"I can imagine that disappointing Herr- your roommate would be quite stressful for you."

"Exactly."

"Don't worry, Phoenix. I'm sure this meeting will be over shortly, and then you can go home and clean your house, as it were."

"I hope so."

"Ah, here's Mr. Enigmar now. I'll get out of your way. Good luck."

"Thanks, Kristoph, for-"

"It's nothing. Enjoy your game, gentlemen."

\--

They sent him outside while the board discussed the verdict. Payne stood down the hall from him; every so often, Phoenix would catch him looking his way nervously. It occurred to him that picking him for this case had probably been a message from the board- and for a moment, Phoenix almost felt sorry for the man.

But that was what was bugging him. He didn't really feel sorry, he didn't really feel angry- he didn't feel anything other than the tension headache he'd had ever since he left Edgeworth's house- that and tired, oh so tired.

The doors to the boardroom swung open. Payne practically ran in, taking his chair before Phoenix could even start walking. It didn't matter- he was in no hurry.

He already knew what they were going to say.


End file.
